The present invention pertains generally to hand operated tools used in the positioning of large and cumbersome articles.
In the laying of large diameter pipe of the type, for example, used in municipal water systems, it is necessary to align and guide a pipe end into coupled engagement with the end of a previously laid pipe. Toward this end it is common practice to station a workman in the pipe receiving trench. Governmental safety regulations now require that before any workman may descend into a ditch, of a depth of five feet or so, the ditch must be shored to prevent collapse of the ditch walls. Obviously such collapse could result in serious injury or even death. The installation and removal of shoring from a ditch incurs substantial time, materials and effort to greatly increase the cost of a pipe laying operation.
Additionally, it is common practice to temporarily position a barrier at the open end of a pipe being laid while a powered instrumentality such as the bucket of a backhoe machine urges the pipe lengthwise into place. In this instance, a worker normally holds a plate in place over the pipe end to prevent the entry of dirt, gravel, etc., into the pipe. Heretofore in pipe laying operations at five feet or greater depths, the presence of a worker or workers in the ditch necessitated a considerable shoring effort as it was necessary that the pipe be manually aligned and secondly, to position a barrier placed over the open pipe end to prevent the entry of foreign material. In addition to the added cost of shoring the ditch walls, the stationing of a worker or workers in the trench incurred a degree of risk with or without shoring.